One Union Has Stained Labor Day in Connecticut, Says HealthBridge Management

The SEIU continues its pattern of law breaking

MILFORD, Conn., Aug. 29, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The venerable tradition of Labor Day has a long and rich history.

It is a yearly tribute to the many contributions workers have made to the development, prosperity and well-being of our country, and celebrates the past and present labor movement. Over the years, it has become America's unofficial end of the summer season.

But this year, one labor union has stained Labor Day in Connecticut.

When members of the New England Health Care Employees Union, District 1199 SEIU went out on strike against five Connecticut HealthBridge Health CareCenters, at three of the sites some members perpetrated numerous criminal acts of sabotage against our residents. The three police reports are available here.

This included removing wrist bands from more than 30 residents, switching the names of Alzheimer's and dementia unit residents, changing names on patient resident doors, removing stickers indicating how residents can be fed safely and other actions that placed our residents in serious jeopardy.

This continues a long-established pattern of SEIU members breaking the law. The 2012 incident of detestable acts of sabotage, which are under criminal investigation by Connecticut's Chief State's Attorney, bear a striking resemblance to the 2001 strike-related actions against nursing homes by the same union. In the 2001 case, The Hartford Courant reported that then-Chief State's Attorney John M. Bailey concluded "in a damning report that many of the alleged incidents not only occurred but also were criminal."

The disruptive, unlawful behavior that has occurred in both Connecticut and New Jersey is taken directly from the national SEIU's playbook that spells out steps for disruptive behavior in and around a strike. That playbook is available here.

In this current labor dispute, those paying the real price are the former HealthBridge employees out on strike. They are paying the price for the intransigence of union leaders.

Connecticut's SEIU dishonors the many sacrifices of the legitimate labor movement. Connecticut's SEIU utilizes thuggish tactics, law breaking and the victimization of innocent, law abiding people. Connecticut's SEIU prepares for Labor Day by abusing senior citizens and trespassing on private property. Connecticut's SEIU stains the legitimate labor movement, and it stains Connecticut's Labor Day.